Kona diary day 2: Energy lab

Day 2 started like day 1 today; a nice 30 minute 2km swim at the pier. Plenty more people there this morning that yesterday and I suspect the anticipation will only grow as the week goes on.

From there I met Meredith and headed for the breakfast buffet and then onto Lava Java for coffees/teas. Lava Java has been taken over by Team Commerz Bank and Scott bikes. The whole team was there this morning for breakfast including 2 time winner Norman Stadler and favourite for the 2011 race Mario Vaunhaucker (spell is wrong there for sure!). The place was a buzz with energy and might be avoided later in the week.

I then head out to the Energy Lab to experience that section of the run in the peak of the Kona heat. Suffice to say, this was a bit of a confidence sucker as I felt like I was going to melt into the asphalt coming back out. Literally, COOKING!  Legs felt great running though, but man, that was really hot!!!

A nice meal to close out the day with the Endurance Sport Travel team at Bubba Gump's and a few purchases along the walk and voila, day 2 is complete!!!

of course, we had an ice cream watching the waves and sun too....see below:)

Kona Day 1: Inspired already....

Welcome friends to my first of daily journals from Kona, this being Sunday evening October 2nd after a pretty long journey in yesterday. Our flight to LA on Air Canada = GREAT; our flight from LAX to Kona on UNITED = well, typical United.....landed safe though which is what matters after a pilot announces "making a fix as the whole flight is over water"

AH, yes please, FIX THAT!

Ended up sitting beside the Rachel Joyce family support team from London, England. We talked rugby more than Ironman I think-:) Great group and her 5th place last year was no fluke, the girl can run like wind. Be great to see how she does.

We were picked up at Airport by Ty from Endurance Sport Travel and then again this morning to join their crew for a great home cooked breakfast. There we met the first few of the 100 or so travel guests the crew have as clients this week. Among them, Tara Costa from The Biggest Loser TV show of which Meredith works out to religiously.  You can learn more about Tara by visiting www.taracosta.com but what I would like to say is, she was given a chance to do better for herself on the Biggest Loser and she took it by the you-know-what's!!!! She then took that learning to do better for others. Her Foundation is now working on educating and changing America's childhood obesity problem. Example I said to her today, at my work vending machine a Dasani bottled water is $1.25. A can of coke is $1. They are both Coke products and Dasani is tap water bottled so tell me, how is that possible?   She is out in schools, communities, local races, even F-100 companies educating the impacts obesity has and how we can do better. In the short 30 minutes I learned quickly, Tara Costa has my and Meredith's RESPECT. And yes, she is racing Saturday!!! INSPIRED!

Workout wise today I started with a 30 minute swim in my new www.nineteenwetsuits.com speed suit! It ROCKED! Water was nice and warm and the salt water+suit kept me flying through the water...good confidence boost. Late morning was a 70km ride up to Hawi and back. The winds were very manageable and my legs felt sweet! 

My biggest stress right now is two fold:

Kona Brewing Company Lager or Pale Ale?

What kit do I race in Saturday?

Tough choices!!

That's it for tonight. Hopefully I can get some inside scoop on Specialized press conference tomorrow that has none other than Simon Whitfield in attendance. Yeah, Simon says LONDON2012WIN!!